PLAYER OF THE WEEK | Cosmos Midfielder Juan Arango
The New York Cosmos are hitting their stride at the perfect time, and veteran midfielder Juan Arango is leading the way. The Venezuelan midfielder has been named North American Soccer League (NASL) Player of the Week after another outstanding performance that saw him score a goal and add two assists in the club’s 4-0 win over Miami FC on Saturday.
“I’m very happy to be named NASL Player of the Week,” Arango said. “This is, without a doubt, an honor I wouldn’t have been able to achieve without my teammates. We had a great performance against Miami and we will continue working hard to wrap up the season in the best possible way.”
The Cosmos jumped all over visiting Miami right from the start, finding the back of the net four times in the opening 36 minutes at Shuart Stadium. Arango was involved in three of the goals, first finding forward Jairo Arrieta for a goal just over a minute into the game.
After fellow Venezuelan international Yohandry Orozco doubled New York’s lead in the seventh minute, Arango made it 3-0 with one of his signature free kicks. The 36-year-old midfielder curled the ball over the wall and past Miami goalkeeper Daniel Vega to score his 15th goal of the season. To put the cherry on top of a phenomenal first half, Arango found the feet of Orozco, who blasted a low shot into the corner of the net from distance in the 36th minute.
Arango has played an integral role in the success of the Cosmos, who enter The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament, as the No. 1 seed. The Maracay, Venezuela, native has seven assists to go along with his 15 goals, and has proved to be lethal in dead-ball situations around the penalty area.
“We are very fortunate to have Juan here with the Cosmos,” Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “Juan’s quality and experience allow him to contribute every game in so many different ways, and his presence helps the team in the midfield and boosts our attack whenever necessary. This is a well-deserved honor for him.”
A veteran of Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Mexico’s Liga MX, Arango is Venezuela’s all-time leader in both goals and appearances. He has found the back of the net 23 times for La Vinotinto in 128 appearances.
Arango and the Cosmos face off against Minnesota United on Saturday at NSC Stadium in Blaine, Minn. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game can be seen live on ONE World Sports and ESPN3.
